In the countdown to President Bush’s final State of the Union address, there are strong signals that it will be reminiscent in some ways of the speech given by his father 16 years ago.President Bush is certain to focus on the economy on Monday night, reiterating his faith in Americans’ enterprise and work ethic, arguing for a short-term shot in the arm and repeating his call for low taxes as a permanent way of life. Mr. Bush believes deeply in Americans’ “keeping more of their hard-earned money, rather than sending it to Washington,” as his spokeswoman, Dano Perino, put it the other day.
President George H.W. Bush also emphasized the economy in his hourlong final State of the Union address, on Jan. 28, 1992. “We are going to lift this nation out of hard times inch by inch and day by day, and those who would stop us had better step aside,” the first President Bush said, as he proposed various quick tax-relief measures, including breaks for the housing industry in general and first-time home buyers in particular.